Sharpening apparatus for razor blades



Jan. 10, 1956 1. cmxeuo SHARPENING APPARATUS FOR RAZOR BLADES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15, 1953 Jan. 10, 1956 CINlGLlQ SHARPENING APPARATUS FOR RAZOR BLADES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15. 1955 United States Patent SHARPENING APPARATUS FOR RAZOR BLADES Ignace Ciniglio, Luzern, Switzerland Application May 13, 1953, Serial No. 354,723 Claims priority, application Switzerland August 26, 1952 4 Claims. (Cl. 51'---153) The invention relates to a sharpening apparatus for the grinding and stropping of razor blades, and has the main object of providing an apparatus of the kind referred to in which the resilient pressure with which the razor blade is pressed against a grinding and/or stropping element when moved to-and-fro relative to the said element, is made adjustable.

It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the kind referred to which is equally suitable for the sharpening of razor blades of various thicknesses.

With these and other objects in view I provide a sharpening apparatus for razor blades comprising in combination: a frame, guides arranged on the inside of the said frame, a slide reciprocating on said guides, forked levers pivoted on the said slide about a pivot axis transverse to the direction of reciprocating of the said slide, a blade holder mounted rotatably in the said forked levers about an axis parallel to the said pivot axis, spring means attached to the said slide and bearing on the said forked levers, pressing the same on the said guides, and adjustment means adapted to vary the stressing of the said spring means.

Preferably the said spring means are constructed as a two-armed spring, bearing with its ends on the said forked levers and pressing the same on the said guides, and an adjustable attachment means attaching the middle portion of the said spring on the said slide is also provided.

This adjustable attachment means may consist of a disk mounted adjustably about its own axis on the said slide, and a crank pin eccentrically arranged on the said disk, the middle portion of the said spring being wound round the said crank pin. There may be serrations provided on the contacting faces of the said disk and slide adapted to mutually interengage at various rotational positions of the said disk relative to the said slide, and a slot may be provided at the back of the said disk for the insertion of an adjusting tool.

These and other objects and features of the invention 6 will become clear from the description of an embodiment of the invention which will now be given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus in elevation,

Fig. 3 is a cross section along the line 3--3 of Fig.2 on a larger scale, and

Fig. 4 is a detail of Fig. 2 in section on a still larger scale.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a casing 10, a slide 11 shiftable on a slide track 22 in the casing 10, a razor blade holder 12 adapted to be inserted into the slide 11, and end plate 13 pivoted at one end of the casing 10, and a grinding and stropping element 14 mounted onthe bottom of the said casing 10. The end plate 13 can be swung about its pivot from the closed position of Fig. 2 into the open position of Fig. 1 in which the slide 11 can be partly pulled out of the casing 10, and a razor blade B can be inserted into, or taken out of the blade holder 12.

The casing 10 consists preferably of a single piece of sheet metal and has a base plate 16 and two lateral walls 17 with inwardly turned flanges 18 and ledges 65, 66. The casing 10 has a slide track 22 extending longitudinally on both sides of the base plate 16 (Fig. 1).

The grinding and stropping element 14 is mounted on the base plate 16 substantially in the middle of its length in an oblique direction and has a triangular cross section with clipped corners, each face having a different grinding or stropping characteristic. The stropping element can be turned about its axis so as to bring the face of the characteristic desired into operative position, and can be arrested in such position.

The slide 11 comprises a transverse portion 30 and side plates 31. As shown in Fig. 1 the side plates have runners 32 which slide on the tracks 22 of the casing 10. On top of the runners 32, concave recesses 45 are provided.

A forked lever 35 is pivoted on the outside of each side plate 31 on a pin 36, and the forward end of each lever has a recess 36a for the reception of the blade holder 12, just above the recesses 45 in the runner 32. The rear end of each lever 35 has a notch 37 into which engages one end 38 of a spring 39 which is coiled intermediate its ends about a pin 40 which is arranged in a manner to be described later more in detail with reference to Figs. 3 and 4 on the bridge piece 41 of the transverse portion 30 of' the slide 11. By this spring arrangement the front ends of the forked levers 35 (Figs. 1 and 2 on the left hand side) are pressed upwards; their upward movement is however, limited by a downward projection 44 at the rear end of each lever 35.

The bridge piece 41 serves as a grip for the thumb and fingers of the operator who can thereby move the slide 11 to-and-fro along the casing 10.

The blade holder 12 (Fig. 1) has on each end a trunnion 53 which engages into a recess 36a of one of the forked levers 35. Each trunnion 53'carries at its outer end a disc 54 which has two parallel flats 55 standing at right angles to the razor blade B in the holder 12. On the outer end of each trunnion there is moreover a doublearmed lever 56 extending parallel to the plane of said blade B. The middle portion of each lever 56 is joggled inwards at 57 and the intermediate-portions have concave guide faces 58, 59 symmetrical to the plane of said blade B. The ends 60 of the levers 56 are pointed.

The discs 54 and levers 56 determine the position of the blade B mounted in the holder 12 in the course of the movement of the slide 11 in the casing 10: the discs 54 roll along the lower faces of the inwardly overhanging flanges 18 of the casing, while the double-armed levers 56 cooperate with cam shaped portions 67 at the front ends of the ledges 65, 66 provided on the inside of the side Walls 17 of the casing 10 and with the cam shaped depressions 68 at the rear ends of the said flanges 18.

By the action of the spring 39 on the rear ends of the forked levers 35 the discs 54 are pressed from underneath against the said flanges 18 whereby the blade B which during the movement of the slide 11 towards the right in Figs. 1 and 2 slopes down from the centre of the blade holder 12 towards the left and skims with its lateral face adjacent its edge the top of the grinding and stropping element 14, tends to turn in the anti-clockwise direction, whereby it is pressed against the said element 14 and is ground or stropped.

When the slide 11 approaches its right hand side end position, the points 60 of the levers 56 which are directed upwards towards the right, strike the cams 68 whereby the blade holder 12 is turned over into a horizontal position in which the concave recesses. 58 fit the curvature of the earns 68, the blade B having cleared the grinding and stropping element 14 by that time.

On reversal of movement theidiscs 54 againabut on the undersides of the flanges 18 but during the movement towards the leftin Figs. '1 and 2 the blade slopes from the centre of the blade holder 12 down towards the right, and again skims the grinding and stropping element 14 on its way. 1

When reaching the left hand end position of the slide 11 the points 60 of. the leversfSd which were sliding on top of the ledges 65, 66 abut on the cams 67 of these ledges and turn the blade holder 12 anticlockwise into the horizontal position, the blade. B having by then cleared the grinding and stropping element 14. Upon the slide 11 reaching its left hand end position and the points :60 of the levers 56 engaging the recesses 45,'the bladeholder 12 is turned in the clockwise direction into the vertical position shown in Pi g. 2.

When the slide 11 is moved again towards the right, the cycle described hereinabove'is repeated.

According to the present invention the degree of pressing the blade 8 on to the grinding and/or stropping element 14 has been made adjustable to suit various blades, and in particular blades of various thicknesses. For this purpose the stressing" of the spring 39, which presses the blade holder 12 against. the slide tracks of the apparatus and which accordingly presses a blade B accommodated in the holder 12 against the surface of the grinding and/or stropping element 14, is made'adjustable. This makes it possible to select the degree of pressing the bladeB on to the grindingand/or stropping element 14 differently for thin and for thicker blades.

As will be seen in Figs. 3 and 4 this variation of the spring force is achieved in the following manner:

The spring 39 is bent in its middle into a loop 109, which is fitted around a pin 40-of a disk 111 having serrations 11% which engage serrations in the rear face of the bridge piece 41. This disk 11.1 is rotatable in the slide 11, and is'secured by a circular clip 117. As willbe seen, the pin 41) is disposed eccen'trically on the disc 111. The free ends of the spring 39 rest on the rear ends 37 of the forked levers 35. By turning the disk 111, the stressing of the spring 39, and consequently the force of pressing the blade holder 12 on to the flanges 18 of the casing 16 can be adjusted. Three different positions of the spring 39 are indicated in the drawing, and obviously the spring force is the strongest in the lowest position of the pin 4%. In this position the blade B is pressed at a maximum force on to the grinding and/or stropping element 14. Of course any desired number of serrations 119 may be provided, but in general it suffices if the disk 111 can be adjusted to three different positions, so that the spring .39 is stressed weakly, medium or strongly. For

' the adjustment of the disk 111 the latter may have at its back a slot 114 into whic a coin, screw driver orthe like can be inserted in order to turn the disk 111.from one position into the other.

Owing to its resiliency the circular clip 117 tends to move. towards the deep of the groove in the disk 111. Since this is resisted by the slope of the groove, the spring force of the clip 117 pulls the whole disk 111 towards the left in Fig. 4 i. e. the serrations of the disk 111 are forced into engagement with theserrations on the back of the bridge piece 41. When however, the disk 111 is turned about its axis the serrations of the disklll and of the bridge piece 41 ride on top of one another, the disk 111 is pulled towards the right and the circular clip 117 slides up along the V-shaped groove and slightly opens up circumferentially whereby its spring force is increased. As soon as the serrations of the disk 111 and of the bridge piece 41 register again in a new position, the springforce of thecircular clip 117 secures the same again in-engagement.

The embodimentspecifically described with reference to the accompanying drawing allows to vary the pressure with which the razor blade is pressed onthe grinding and/or stropping body, and is accordingly adaptable for the sharpening of blades of different thicknesses.

While I have described and illustrated what may be considered a typical and particularly useful embodiment of my said invention I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular details and dimensions described and illustrated, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I v

1. A sharpening apparatus for razor blades, comprising in combination: a frame, a sharpening tool mounted thereupon, guides arranged on the inside of said frame, a slide reciprocating on said guides, forked levers pivoted on said slide about a pivot axis transverse to the direction of reciprocating of the said slide, a'blade holder mounted rotatably in the said forked leversabout' an axis parallel to the saidpivot axis, discs provided with flats and mounted upon the blade holder at the respectiveends of said pivot axis, a two-armed spring, bearing with its ends onthe said forked levers and pressing said discs on the saidrguides, a disk mounted adjustably about its own axis on the said slide, and a crankpin .eccentrically arranged on the said disk, the'middle portion of the saidspring being wound around said'crank pin.

2. A sharpening apparatus for razor blades, comprising in combination: aframe,-a sharpening tool mounted thereupon, guides. arranged on the inside of said frame, a slide reciprocating on said guides, and provided with a central circular aperture and a serrated face adjacent thereto forked levers pivoted on said slide about a pivot axis transverse tothe direction of reciprocating of the said slide, a blade holder mounted rotatably inthe said forked levers about an axis parallel to the said pivot axis, discs provided with flats and mounted upon the blade holder at the respective ends of said pivot axis, spring means attached to the said slide and bearing on the said forked levers pressing said discs onthe said guides, and adjustment means adapted to vary the stressing of the said spring means, the said adjustment means comprising a crank pin extending partly within the'said circular aperture of the said slide and extending partly externally therefrom, the said pin having the axis thereof perpendicular to the said slide and positioned near the peripheral portion of the said aperture, and surrounded by a loop of the said spring means, and aserrated disk connected to the said crank pin and resiliently engaging the adjacent serrated face of the said' slide.

3. A sharpening apparatus for razor blades, compris' ing in combination: a frame, a sharpening tool mounted thereupon, guides arranged on the inside of said frame, a. slide reciprocating on said guides, forked leverspivoted on said slide about apivot axistransverse to the directionof reciprocating of thesaid slide, a blade holder mounted rotatably in thesaid forked levers about an axis parallel to the said pivot axis, discs provided with flats and mounted upon the blade. holder at the respective ends of said pivot axis, a two-armed spring, bearing with its ends on the said forked levers and pressing said discs on the said guides, a disk mounted adjustably aboutits own axis on the said slide and facing one face of thesaid slide, serrations provided on the contacting faces of the said disk and slide adapted to mutuallyinterengage at various rotational positions of the said disk relative to the said slide, and a slot being provided'at 'the back of the said disk for the insertion of an adjusting-tool, and a crank pin eccentrically arranged on the said disk, the middle portion of the said 'spring'being wound around the saidcrank pin.

4. A sharpening apparatus for razor blades, compris? ing in combination: a frame, a sharpening tool mounted thereupon, guides arranged on the inside of said frame,

a slide reciprocating on said guides, forked levers pivoted on said slide about a pivot axis transverse to the direction of reciprocating of the said slide, a blade holder mounted rotatably in the said forked levers about an axis parallel to the said pivot axis, discs provided with flats and mounted upon the blade holder at the respective ends of said pivot axis, an elongated substantially linear spring, bearing with its ends on said forked levers, a crank pin projecting perpendicular to said spring near the center thereof, said spring having a middle portion wound around said crank pin, means for holding one end of said crank pin and for imparting thereto a predetermined displacement in a direction perpendicular to the direction of said spring, said last means comprising at least a portion of a fiat disc bear ing said pin near one peripheral point thereof, means for constraining said disc portion so as to be rotatable about a substantially central axis thereof, and means for holding said disc portion in a predetermined one of a plurality of angular positions, whereby said pin displaces said spring from a linear position to a predetermined degree; thereby varying the tension of said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,863,431 Barsch June 14, 1932 1,908,223 Cuddy May 9, 1933 2,119,264 Barsch May 31, 1938 

